How three words, two plastic candle-tubes, sandpaper and a few pinches of dust changed the building materials industry.

USG created North America’s building materials industry. The Chicago-based company has produced innovative products for more than 100 years. Its industry defining products - including SHEETROCK brand gypsum panels and DUROCK brand cement board - are recognized around the world. USG originally launched the product with a small campaign that included posters at the POP in a limited number of big-box stores (Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc.).

Because of the limited soft launch, contractors didn’t catch on, and sales didn’t get off the ground. USG tried promoting its product again, this time with the help of GyroHSR. The agency was tasked with increasing awareness among end-users, generating a buzz among professionals and DIYers, and demonstrating product benefits at the POP. Through direct communication with contractors and installers, it became clear that this audience was resistant to change. The agency distilled the end-users’ problem and the product benefit into one memorable, three-word phrase: ‘Down With Dust.’ This was the basis of an integrated campaign that leveraged print and online advertising, POP, collateral, direct mail, PR and a Web microsite.

Ads - which were placed in trade publications and merchandised at the POP - featured a ‘Goggles Man’ who visually compared the amount of dust generated using the USG joint compound with dust control to that of a competitor’s joint compound. The ads were powerful visuals to build brand awareness, but contractors and installers are hands-on people.

The agency created a display in which two clear tubes housed a pinch of drywall dust, one featuring the USG joint compound with dust control and the other containing a competitor’s joint compound. A simple shake revealed the drastic difference: one tube immediately filled with a cloud of dust, while the USG joint compound dust fell straight to the bottom of the tube.

Public relations played a key role in the campaign by optimizing all collateral with several keywords, or ’seed words.’ These seed words included ‘Down With Dust,’ ‘heavy dust’ and ‘dust control.’ The PR coverage spurred individuals to search these terms online, which directed them to the USG microsite that contained product videos, coupons, detailed product information and a dealer locator. PR and SEO efforts were integral in communicating the seeded messages via editorial and broadcast coverage, and a video news release demoed the product in action.

The results were impressive. PR efforts garnered 1,600 media placements totalling 70 million impressions, more than three times the 20 million impressions set forth as a goal at the start of the campaign. The product received top-tier newspaper coverage and also garnered 25 placements in trade publications and the USG joint compound with dust control was also featured nationally on CNN, Fox, MSNBC and CNBC.

The integrated campaign resulted in more than 6 million pay-per-click impressions, and a click through rate 4.5 times higher than the industry average, and there were nearly 40,000 visitors to the product microsite. Banner placements generated more than 2 million total impressions.

Thanks to the campaign, USG surpassed its $8 million sales goal, and dealers increased from 11 to more than 400. And the integrated campaign was highly celebrated in the marketing communications industry.

‘The ads were powerful visuals, but contractors and installers are hands-on people. They have to see a product in action to believe it.’